Germany
Practice Relating to Rule 147. Reprisals against Protected Objects
Section C. Cultural property
Germany’s Soldiers’ Manual (1991) states: “Cultural property may never be made the object of reprisals.”
Germany’s Military Manual (1992), referring to Articles 52(1) and 53(c) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, as well as to Article 4(4) of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property, provides: “It is expressly prohibited by agreement to make reprisals against: … cultural objects”.
In another provision, the manual, referring to Articles 52(1) and 53(c) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, as well as to Article 4(4) of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property, provides: “It is prohibited to make cultural property the object of reprisals.”
Germany’s IHL Manual (1996) provides: “Reprisals are expressly prohibited against … cultural property”.
Germany’s Soldiers’ Manual (2006) states: “Cultural property may in no event be made the object of reprisals.”
In 1990, during a parliamentary debate on the ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocols, a member of the German Parliament called the prohibition of reprisals as contained in the 1977 Additional Protocol I “newly introduced rules”.
Upon ratification of the 1977 Additional Protocol I, Germany declared:
The Federal Republic of Germany will react against serious and systematic violations of the obligations imposed by Additional Protocol I … with all means admissible under international law in order to prevent any further violation.
In 1995, in response to a private inquiry, the Department of Legal Affairs of the German Ministry of Defence stated: “According to international conventional law, reprisals are expressly prohibited against … cultural property”.